Aaron McCarthy was targeted by security guards from the fast food chain (Picture: Tim Clarke)
A homeless man who was filmed being soaked by a McDonald’s security guard in London has revealed he expects to spend Christmas on the streets.
Aaron McCarthy was sitting in his sleeping bag outside a Nationwide bank near Victoria train station on Saturday night when he was approached by guards from the McDonald’s next door.
Despite being told he had been given permission to sit there by the local private security, one of them splashed water from a mop bucket over the ground, saturating Aaron’s sleeping bag.
The 25-year-old told the MailOnline the incident made him feel like he was ‘no one, nothing’.
He also said he will be sleeping on the streets over the festive period as nobody has offered him a place to stay.
Speaking about the guard’s behaviour, he said: ‘What happened has really affected my mental health. It has made my PTSD go off again and made my ADHD get worse.
‘There was no reason for that security guard to throw water on my sleeping bag.’
Aaron, originally from Limerick, told the news site he was ‘born a heroin addict’ as both his parents were addicts, and he had been living on the streets since he was 17.
He said: ‘Everyone seems to think that people on the streets are drug addicts. But I’m not. I don’t choose to be here.
‘I’ve asked and asked and asked for help but it seems like no one wants to know. I need help and I don’t get help.’
Footage of the incident on Saturday was shared widely on social media, with users reacting furiously to Aaron’s treatment.
Tagging McDonald’s in his original tweet with the video, Damon Evans wrote: ‘Do you think it is acceptable for your staff to soak the sleeping bags of homeless people in the middle of winter (or any other time of the year)?
‘Disgusting behaviour. He wasn’t even outside your premises.’
The fast food chain later posted a statement saying: ‘We are shocked and saddened by this incident.
‘The third party security guards involved have been permanently removed from our restaurants and the restaurant team has been reminded of the importance of treating all people with respect, including vulnerable people both in the restaurant and within the wider community.
‘‘We would like to wholeheartedly apologise to the gentleman in the video and will work with the council to locate him and make amends as part of our ongoing work to support homelessness charities in and around the area.’
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